₦airaland Forum

Occupy Lekki Toll Gate

By Ebun-olu Adegboruwa
Fellow Patriots,

As a fall out to the fuel subsidy removal protests, Nigerians from all walks of life have been protesting and demanding the withdrawal of armed soldiers from all public places and indeed the streets of Lagos. In particular, our dear Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, issued a strong statement against the action of the federal government of Nigeria. He said Nigerians and Lagosians have a right to assemble and protest. I agree with the governor and I have this mornging filed a case in court to seek the withdrawal of armed soldiers from Lagos. I commend the governor, for standing up to defend the rights of the people, except that we have not all forgotten the events of December 17, 2011, when the same governnor unleashed thugs and armed policemen against us in Lekki, for daring to express our views against the tolling policy of his administration, which, in my humble view, is indeed worse than fuel subsidy removal. I believe that the time is now ripe for us to test the democratic credentials and the integrity of our dear governor.

Save Nigeria Group, Nigerian Action Alliance and indeed artists, nollywood, lawyers and students, have vowed to occupy the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park on Saturday, January 21, 2012, to test the democracy of Nigeria. I am fully in support of this. However, we do not have to go as far as Ojota. I call on all men and women of good conscience to join me to occupy the Lekki Admiralty Circle Toll Gate on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 7.00 a, m. We will conduct ourselves peacefully as we did on December 17, 2012, in the exericse of our constitutional right to freely assembly and express our opposition to the economic wickedness represented in the tolling policy.

Please mobilise as many people as possible. Bring your mattresses, food, drinks and music systems. Nigeria is our country. If it is right to protest against fuel susbsidy removal, then it is legitimate to reject the toll fee.

Together we shall win.

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Esq
http://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3073941731093&id=1340173454&refid=17&_ft_a=1340173454&_ft_tf=3073941731093&_ft_tpi=1340173454&_ft_ti=22&_ft_fth=66bc2e4519426a97&_ft_time_ft=1327050052&_ft_mf_objid=3073941731093

I can't believe that Zakari Biu, a notorious torturer during the Abacha era, is still in the police force.

Since I was born, the Federal Government's strategy to combat mass protest has always been the same, divide and rule. Create division based on religion, ethnic group or class and watch the people turn on each other, while the ruling class smile to the bank.

Finally!
Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson = Love Adure (in the 1960s)

Feladey = Love Adure (in the 1990s)

Flavour = Nwa Baby (in the 2010s)

Solving any problem becomes difficult if you cannot analyse a problem properly and discover its causes. Boko Haram has splintered.

The song (Sawalele) was originally done by Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson in the 1960s, but somebody made a cover version in the 1990s.I have been trying to remember who did the 1990s version, but I can't. Can anybody help me out?

Actually, I'm not against tolling, or some management contract system, but I feel it's important that the government engages citizens, seeks their opinion, informs of them of developments, so that it can many any necessary policy adjustments and get the people to buy into its policies and programmes.

Will there be a toll gate on the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge?

The key question is; WILL THIS BRIDGE BE TOLLED?

FASHOLA ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED MURDER AT LEKKI PROTEST

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, ordered a probe into the alleged murder of a protetser during Saturday’s Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria protest against toll collection along the newly constructed Lekki-Epe highway.
The Executive Order was addressed to the Lagos State Attorney-General/ Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, and copied to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakub Alkali.
Governor Fashola stated, “My attention has been drawn to a publication and other reports alleging that a citizen was shot and killed by the police during last Saturday’s protests at Lekki Toll Gate by citizens in expression of their constitutional rights to agitate their grievances. While I recognise the right of the police to enforce the law, our democracy does not permit the excessive use of force or extra judicial killings. I hereby order a thorough investigation to ascertain if anyone was actually killed during the protest, who were the witnesses to the alleged killing, if the victim was killed by police or any other person, the identity of the victim, the identity of the doctor who certified the victim dead, if the victim has been buried, the location where he/she was buried, the identity of the person who issued the permit for the burial location of the corpse, if the victim has not been buried and by what authority any person purports to keep the victim’s body.
The investigation must commence as soon as possible and be concluded no later than Friday, December 30, 2011, by which time I expect to receive a full report of findings and detailed recommendations.”

http://nigerianssavingnigerians.org/2011/12/22/fashola-investigate-police-brutality-against-lekki-protesters/

To get a good view of the bridge, walk down Wole Olateju Crescent, Lekki Phase 1. You can't really see anything from the foot of the bridge, but the view is perfect from the crescent.

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Alexander end 2

Alexander end

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You can see that the bridge is supported by pillars at the point where it curves round the bight, but at the point where it spans the creek there are huge columns (presumably, the bridge will be supported from those columns).

You can't really see the bridge from those pics posted earlier. You have to go to the crescent opposite. I took these pics about a week and a half ago. Please forgive me for any mistakes, still getting used to posting pics here.

However, the government needs to engage residents and let us know if we are going to pay tolls to cross this bridge. The key question now is, will it be a toll bridge?

I make it a point to visit the bridge once a week. All that's left now is the final span across the creek. Initially I thought it wasn't going to be a suspension bridge because the part that curves around the bight is built on pillars, but it seems the section that spans the creek will indeed be suspended. By the way, it appears the bridge will not terminate @ Osborne, rather it seems it will terminate @ Alexander Avenue.

My neighbour just saw Fashola's motorcade drive through the toll gate. They paid their toll, got to phase 1 roundabout and turned back.

@ PhuckNL: I couldn't agree more: Lagos State government has done a poor job with respect to informing and seeking the views of Lekki residents about this project. When Admiralty Circle Plaza was being built, I spoke with quite a few Lekki residents who thought that it was a bridge connecting Lekki and Ikoyi. That's when I knew that the project was in trouble. Government has also been silent on the mass transit component. Will BRT fares rise? When will the (green) rail line be completed?

BRT buses have been running Ajah route for months now.

Wow! Check out police on the streets.

@ Eteks: God bless you. I lived in the Lekki area over 10 years ago, moved away and came back & the difference in road quality is clear. Everybody knows there's an alternative route by-passing Admiralty Circle Plaza & that the security situation around that road has greatly improved, but propaganda is such a bad thing.

Bad portions of the Oniru road were rehabilitated by Hitech. However, I gathered from people living further down the expressway that there are no alternatives to the 2nd & 3rd toll plazas (well, the only "alternative" is a sandy path along the coastline).

Anyway, I plan to walk down to the plaza & see what'll happen on sunday. Maybe I can give live reports. It shld be fun.

Been using Oniru New Market rd (from Ligali Ayorinde) since 2008. It by-passes Admiralty Circle Plaza.

What next? PHCN has been broken up into (regional) distribution (eg, Eko Distribution Company), Transmission and Generation companies. These companies will subsequently be privatised.

However, there are certain things that the government should learn from the Lekki toll-gate issue.

1) Better public relations: Government should have sought the opinions of residents before signing the contract, so that it is aware of any concerns the people have.

2) Mass transit component: This will reduce congestion and pollution and cater for the poor who can't afford the tolls (BRT shouldn't pay toll and they should quickly construct the Lekki green rail line).

3) Alternative roads: there must be alternative roads so that we'll prevent a situation where we have private monopoly.

Hahahahahahaha! I know you, going round and round arguing. Well not tonight. At least you've tacitly agreed that few paid taxes. Bye